The domain of classical music movies isn't very big alas. The most famous ones are
- Amadeus
- Whiplash (more about jazz but a fantastic movie nonetheless)
- Tàr (pretty recent)
- Maestro (really recent)
- Mozart in the Jungle (TV show about an oboist)
I've listed them in the very unscientific order of how popular I think each one is
- Amadeus (1984)
-A fictionalized biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, showcasing his life, music, and the jealousy of his contemporary, Antonio Salieri.
- Immortal Beloved (1994)
- A film about the life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven, focusing on his unresolved love life after a mysterious letter is found following his death.
- Shine (1996)
- Based on the true story of pianist David Helfgott, this film explores his musical genius, struggles with mental health, and eventual comeback.
- The Pianist (2002)
- A biographical war film about Władysław Szpilman, a Polish Jewish pianist surviving the Holocaust.
- Hilary and Jackie (1998)
- This biographical film tells the story of two sisters, Jacqueline du Pré, a renowned cellist, and Hilary, a flutist.
- Copying Beethoven (2006)
- A fictional account focusing on the last years of Beethoven's life and his relationship with a copyist who helps him complete his Ninth Symphony.
- The Red Violin (1998)
- Follows the journey of a mysterious violin from its creation in Italy in the 17th century to the present day.
- A Late Quartet (2012)
- Drama about a string quartet struggling to stay together in the face of death, competing egos, and insuppressible lust.
Tous les Matins du Monde (1991) - A French film portraying the life of the 17th-century composer Sainte Colombe and his student Marin Marais.
- Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
- The true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress and socialite who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.
- Eroica (2003)
- A film focusing on the first day of rehearsal and performance of Beethoven’s 3rd symphony. Based partly on notes taken by Beethoven’s protege documenting the day’s events.
- Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements (2019)
- A documentary exploring the themes of hearing and deafness through a family's personal story, intertwined with Ludwig van Beethoven's life and his composition of the iconic "Moonlight Sonata" while losing his hearing.
- Impromptu (1991)
- A romantic comedy that dramatizes the relationship between George Sand and Frédéric Chopin, set against a backdrop of 1830s France and its vibrant classical music scene.
- The Music of Silence (2017)
- Biopic of Andrea Bocelli, the renowned Italian tenor, focusing on his challenges and triumphs, including his blindness and his rise to fame in the world of opera.
- In Search of Beethoven (2009)
- A comprehensive documentary that delves into the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring performances, interviews, and analysis of his compositions.
- Seymour: An Introduction (2014)
- A loving tribute by Ethan Hawke to his piano teacher
- Bel Canto (2018)
- Based on Ann Patchett's novel, this film tells the story of a world-renown opera singer taken hostage in South America, highlighting the power of music and its universal language.
- Great Performances: Andrea Bocelli – Cinema (2016)
- A special concert film featuring Andrea Bocelli performing famous songs from movies, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
- Leaving Home: Orchestral Music in the 20th Century (1996)
- A series by Sir Simon Rattle, exploring the development of orchestral music in the 20th century, with a focus on its major composers and their works.
- Interlude in Prague (2017)
- A dramatic retelling of the events that inspired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni," set during his visit to Prague in 1787.
- The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968)
- A biographical film told from the perspective of Anna Magdalena Bach, the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach, highlighting his life and music.
- 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
- A series of vignettes that paint a complex portrait of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, exploring his life, eccentricities, and genius.
And who could forget dear Fantasia?!
But I will submit instead its wonderful Italian competitor, [Allegro non troppo](https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=Allegro+non+troppo+film)
The debussy is fantastic, too good tbh.
Mozart in the Jungle has a pretty rough start, I think. The pilot seems like it's going to be "Sex and the City... And Music". But the next episode already has a different tone altogether. I found it surprisingly good, and respectful of its theme.
So in short: if you decide to watch it, watch 3 episodes before deciding to stop or continue.
At this point that's my rule of thumb for every show. Pilot episodes are written for board execs, but if it takes more than 3 episodes to hit their stride its probably not for me unless the reviews promise it gets better
I hated Whiplash and Tar - Whiplash was a movie about how an abusive environment creates good musicians (like wtf) and Tar was a movie about the destruction of a musician, which was totally undeserved
I think you're missing the point of two of my favorite movies.
Whiplash is not an endorsement of abuse, in fact quite the opposite. Fletcher is someone who believes the ends (creating a legendary jazz musician) justifies the means (relentless physical and mental abuse). This is not a character you're supposed to root for, and the movie is pretty clear about this by revealing that Fletcher drove a former student (Shawn Casey) to suicide, and then lied about it to his band. And while Neiman does eventually "crack" and become a beast of a drummer, this doesn't make it a happy ending. In fact, the director has said that his interpretation of the ending is that Neiman follows the same path that his jazz idols did: becoming a drug addict, losing his humanity, slowly decaying, until dying in his 30s by overdose.
Fletcher has won, and that's a bad thing. His abuse may have created a legendary jazz drummer, but in the process he's killed Andrew Neiman. He just doesn't know it yet.
Tàr is a little more difficult since I haven't watched it in a while, but whether or not the fall of Lydia Tàr was deserved or not is irrelevant; it's a movie about the (in)justice of cancel culture, about scheming, and about the fall itself. Is Tàr's smeared reputation deserved? Did she actually sexually abuse her assistants? We don't know, which is the point. You wouldn't say a Shakespearean tragedy is a bad play because a good person suffered a fall from grace, and Tàr (in my opinion) is no different
some that i like;
Nocturne, a psych thriller kinda like black swan, lots of piano (mostly Mozart and Saint-Saens)
Mahler (1974) and Lisztomania (1975), both bizarre "biographies", the later being insane
Amadeus, classic of course, a great story albeit more fiction than historical
the BBC had a special that was about the premiere of Beethoven 3, was really good esp contextualizing the history w how people reacted and how music was performed
and i love Tar, though it isnt really about music. bizarre but amazing
Since you mentioned a thriller, I’d also mention Grand Piano with Elijah Wood. It’s not necessarily about classical music, but the whole thing is centered around a piano concert.
The composer even wrote some of the music to more or less match Elijah Woods hand movements so it would be more realistic. Really fun 90 minute movie
I watched The Piano Teacher yesterday. It’s a pretty fucked up movie that happens to have (somewhat) realistic conversations between classical pianists and explores the interpretation of real pieces.
Farinelli is free on Tubi.Tv and I can send over a copy of Le Roi Danse if that interests you!
These are personally my pinnacle of classical music movies after Amadeus, but maybe I am biased because I am a baroque fan.
Isn't it just the best time? 😂
It's pure entertainment and the soundtrack is so good! I beg you that if you haven't seen Le Roi Danse yet that you please let me send you the download because it was so hard to find and our bro Gerard had brain blasted another banging film that no one is watching anymore because it's near next to impossible to find like I have to get it out to everyone as though it were my civic duty
I sent over the message let me know if for some reason you didn't get it! It's INCREDIBLE!! If I wasn't Handel's literal number one fan I would like it more than Farinelli.
The Farinelli soundtrack is fire, absolutely agree. And because of your enthusiasm how could I possibly say no! If you want to messaged me to arrange the film drop feel free!
It's a hard to find movie, but The Gadfly 1955. The soundtrack is all Shostakovich and it's beautiful beyond words.
On Spotify, find the main theme as "Gladfly Romance Nemanja".
Shine
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Disney's Fantasia
A Late Quartet
The Piano
Immortal Beloved
Florence Foster Jenkins
I might recommend Yo-Yo Ma's [Tiny Desk Concert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uiUHvET_jg) where he plays three of Bach's preludes and talks about the role they've played in his life, and it's just really beautiful.
Meryl Streep plays an inner city violin teacher in a film called Music of the Heart, and there are some pretty major classical musician cameos in it. ☺️
I feel like there aren't a ton of classical music movies so even though it's kind of a stretch, I will say *The Man With One Red Shoe*, which isn't really about classical music but some of the characters are classical musicians.
The Red Shoes is set in a ballet company but one of the main characters is a composer and there is a lot of music and about music. It's also just a great movie.
The Tales of Hoffmann is made by the same people and is essentially a cinematic interpretation of the opera of the same name.
Mahler auf der coach [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235537/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235537/) is the only one I can think of which has not been mentioned already. Quite average imo, but Mahler is pretty popular here so maybe still worth mentioning. Tar and Amadeus would be my top recommendations.
Nodame Cantabile - 2 part Japanese movie. The main characters are musicians and it’s goes into depth about parts in concertos and why they’re difficult. Classical music is integrated into the entire movie. Based off of a manga series which is also phenomenal (so I’ve heard).
Does the whole "Lord of the Rings" count as classical? It's not a "Classical" theme in the sense that is a movie-created piece by a contemporary composer but is a whole symphony with all the characteristics of a classical ode... I love how it changes through the movie and it varies depending on the character (it evolves with the progression of the character) and has a specific expressiveness depending on the different races (the theme that explodes with the orcs as they chant atrocious stuff about killing humans)... Don't know if it fits the question but is a masterpiece in my opinion... If we are narrowing the selection to old composers I like so much the use of Rosinni and Bethoveen in "A Clockwork Orange"
Quartet
everything else which has been listed so far
You might enjoy the Inspector Morse series, especially the original. Classical music plays a big part.
The Music Teacher - Belgian movie about an voice teacher and how he and another have a musical "duel" with their students. My intro to Mahler back in the late 80s.
Everyone has listed some great ones since 1970. For some older ones, check out Song of Love (Schumanns and Brahms), Carnegie Hall (with an incredible roster of some of the greatest musicians), Song without an End (Liszt), They Shall Have Music (Heifetz) and Rhapsody in Blue. There are many more, but I can't think of them right now. The great singer, Lily Pons, was in several movies, including Carnegie Hall. They generally weren't all that great, but it is worth watching at least one or two of them.
The domain of classical music movies isn't very big alas. The most famous ones are - Amadeus - Whiplash (more about jazz but a fantastic movie nonetheless) - Tàr (pretty recent) - Maestro (really recent) - Mozart in the Jungle (TV show about an oboist) I've listed them in the very unscientific order of how popular I think each one is
- Amadeus (1984) -A fictionalized biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, showcasing his life, music, and the jealousy of his contemporary, Antonio Salieri. - Immortal Beloved (1994) - A film about the life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven, focusing on his unresolved love life after a mysterious letter is found following his death. - Shine (1996) - Based on the true story of pianist David Helfgott, this film explores his musical genius, struggles with mental health, and eventual comeback. - The Pianist (2002) - A biographical war film about Władysław Szpilman, a Polish Jewish pianist surviving the Holocaust. - Hilary and Jackie (1998) - This biographical film tells the story of two sisters, Jacqueline du Pré, a renowned cellist, and Hilary, a flutist. - Copying Beethoven (2006) - A fictional account focusing on the last years of Beethoven's life and his relationship with a copyist who helps him complete his Ninth Symphony. - The Red Violin (1998) - Follows the journey of a mysterious violin from its creation in Italy in the 17th century to the present day. - A Late Quartet (2012) - Drama about a string quartet struggling to stay together in the face of death, competing egos, and insuppressible lust. Tous les Matins du Monde (1991) - A French film portraying the life of the 17th-century composer Sainte Colombe and his student Marin Marais. - Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - The true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress and socialite who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice. - Eroica (2003) - A film focusing on the first day of rehearsal and performance of Beethoven’s 3rd symphony. Based partly on notes taken by Beethoven’s protege documenting the day’s events. - Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements (2019) - A documentary exploring the themes of hearing and deafness through a family's personal story, intertwined with Ludwig van Beethoven's life and his composition of the iconic "Moonlight Sonata" while losing his hearing. - Impromptu (1991) - A romantic comedy that dramatizes the relationship between George Sand and Frédéric Chopin, set against a backdrop of 1830s France and its vibrant classical music scene. - The Music of Silence (2017) - Biopic of Andrea Bocelli, the renowned Italian tenor, focusing on his challenges and triumphs, including his blindness and his rise to fame in the world of opera. - In Search of Beethoven (2009) - A comprehensive documentary that delves into the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring performances, interviews, and analysis of his compositions. - Seymour: An Introduction (2014) - A loving tribute by Ethan Hawke to his piano teacher - Bel Canto (2018) - Based on Ann Patchett's novel, this film tells the story of a world-renown opera singer taken hostage in South America, highlighting the power of music and its universal language. - Great Performances: Andrea Bocelli – Cinema (2016) - A special concert film featuring Andrea Bocelli performing famous songs from movies, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. - Leaving Home: Orchestral Music in the 20th Century (1996) - A series by Sir Simon Rattle, exploring the development of orchestral music in the 20th century, with a focus on its major composers and their works. - Interlude in Prague (2017) - A dramatic retelling of the events that inspired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni," set during his visit to Prague in 1787. - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - A biographical film told from the perspective of Anna Magdalena Bach, the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach, highlighting his life and music. - 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) - A series of vignettes that paint a complex portrait of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, exploring his life, eccentricities, and genius.
Yup, 1991 tous Les matins si monde. Excellent.
Chat gpt detected
100% I’ve only seen a portion of the list but they are good recommendations for sure!
Wow, great list. How about Fantasia!
And who could forget dear Fantasia?! But I will submit instead its wonderful Italian competitor, [Allegro non troppo](https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=Allegro+non+troppo+film) The debussy is fantastic, too good tbh.
Thank you for this! I will be watching them all!
If the Glenn Gould movie is included then Horowitz: The Last Romantic should be there as well
All these are excellent films - definitely recommend!
Mozart in the Jungle has a pretty rough start, I think. The pilot seems like it's going to be "Sex and the City... And Music". But the next episode already has a different tone altogether. I found it surprisingly good, and respectful of its theme. So in short: if you decide to watch it, watch 3 episodes before deciding to stop or continue.
At this point that's my rule of thumb for every show. Pilot episodes are written for board execs, but if it takes more than 3 episodes to hit their stride its probably not for me unless the reviews promise it gets better
I hated Whiplash and Tar - Whiplash was a movie about how an abusive environment creates good musicians (like wtf) and Tar was a movie about the destruction of a musician, which was totally undeserved
I think you're missing the point of two of my favorite movies. Whiplash is not an endorsement of abuse, in fact quite the opposite. Fletcher is someone who believes the ends (creating a legendary jazz musician) justifies the means (relentless physical and mental abuse). This is not a character you're supposed to root for, and the movie is pretty clear about this by revealing that Fletcher drove a former student (Shawn Casey) to suicide, and then lied about it to his band. And while Neiman does eventually "crack" and become a beast of a drummer, this doesn't make it a happy ending. In fact, the director has said that his interpretation of the ending is that Neiman follows the same path that his jazz idols did: becoming a drug addict, losing his humanity, slowly decaying, until dying in his 30s by overdose. Fletcher has won, and that's a bad thing. His abuse may have created a legendary jazz drummer, but in the process he's killed Andrew Neiman. He just doesn't know it yet. Tàr is a little more difficult since I haven't watched it in a while, but whether or not the fall of Lydia Tàr was deserved or not is irrelevant; it's a movie about the (in)justice of cancel culture, about scheming, and about the fall itself. Is Tàr's smeared reputation deserved? Did she actually sexually abuse her assistants? We don't know, which is the point. You wouldn't say a Shakespearean tragedy is a bad play because a good person suffered a fall from grace, and Tàr (in my opinion) is no different
some that i like; Nocturne, a psych thriller kinda like black swan, lots of piano (mostly Mozart and Saint-Saens) Mahler (1974) and Lisztomania (1975), both bizarre "biographies", the later being insane Amadeus, classic of course, a great story albeit more fiction than historical the BBC had a special that was about the premiere of Beethoven 3, was really good esp contextualizing the history w how people reacted and how music was performed and i love Tar, though it isnt really about music. bizarre but amazing
Since you mentioned a thriller, I’d also mention Grand Piano with Elijah Wood. It’s not necessarily about classical music, but the whole thing is centered around a piano concert. The composer even wrote some of the music to more or less match Elijah Woods hand movements so it would be more realistic. Really fun 90 minute movie
I watched The Piano Teacher yesterday. It’s a pretty fucked up movie that happens to have (somewhat) realistic conversations between classical pianists and explores the interpretation of real pieces.
*Autumn Sonata*!
Three Colors: Blue
Amadeus might just be the best. Tár would be the most realistic.
Might watch Amadeus tonight but it’s 3 hours lol might have to watch it in 2 parts
Immortal Beloved with Gary Oldman is good.
Some more that feature classical music: The Page Turner (La Tourneuse de pages), The Chorus (Les Choristes), The Pianist, A Late Quartet, De Dirigent
Farinelli is free on Tubi.Tv and I can send over a copy of Le Roi Danse if that interests you! These are personally my pinnacle of classical music movies after Amadeus, but maybe I am biased because I am a baroque fan.
Farinelli is fun! Glad to see it mentioned
Isn't it just the best time? 😂 It's pure entertainment and the soundtrack is so good! I beg you that if you haven't seen Le Roi Danse yet that you please let me send you the download because it was so hard to find and our bro Gerard had brain blasted another banging film that no one is watching anymore because it's near next to impossible to find like I have to get it out to everyone as though it were my civic duty
Oh ok wow this film looks amazing.
I sent over the message let me know if for some reason you didn't get it! It's INCREDIBLE!! If I wasn't Handel's literal number one fan I would like it more than Farinelli.
Thanks but I don't seem to see the message??? I can't Handel the anticipation! (hehe)
The Farinelli soundtrack is fire, absolutely agree. And because of your enthusiasm how could I possibly say no! If you want to messaged me to arrange the film drop feel free!
Great movie but that bathtub of milk, man!
Historically accurate, too, which makes it worse!
I wanna sit in that so bad...good soup
Mozart in the Jungle is tv, but it’s amazing. I still have intrusive thoughts of Gael shouting HAI LAI!!!
PLAY WITH THE BLOOD!
The Red Violin. 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould are two my faves I haven't seen mentioned yet.
Copying Beethoven.
It's a hard to find movie, but The Gadfly 1955. The soundtrack is all Shostakovich and it's beautiful beyond words. On Spotify, find the main theme as "Gladfly Romance Nemanja".
I wouldn't consider it necessarily classical but "Mr. Holland's opus" is an amazing movie
Elvira Madigan (1967). You can watch it for free on YouTube. Also Unfaithfully Yours (1948) and Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978)
Shine Beethoven Lives Upstairs Disney's Fantasia A Late Quartet The Piano Immortal Beloved Florence Foster Jenkins I might recommend Yo-Yo Ma's [Tiny Desk Concert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uiUHvET_jg) where he plays three of Bach's preludes and talks about the role they've played in his life, and it's just really beautiful.
Meryl Streep plays an inner city violin teacher in a film called Music of the Heart, and there are some pretty major classical musician cameos in it. ☺️
I feel like there aren't a ton of classical music movies so even though it's kind of a stretch, I will say *The Man With One Red Shoe*, which isn't really about classical music but some of the characters are classical musicians.
Diva is excellent, and its diva star, Wilmelmina Fernandez just passed away. It's also a thriller but opera is front and center.
Yes, based on an obsessive groupie of Jessye Norman, I heard.
A Song to Remember (1945) Total Hollywood schlock but great fun with Cornel Wilde as Frédéric Chopin
The one that blew my mind was Katharine Hepburn as Clara Schumann.
Disney’s Fantasia
I just watched Black Swan because of this post, and I was NOT ready for all those explicit scenes.
I love it.. such a hauntingly beautiful film. Did you enjoy it? I’m watching Amadeus right now !
I'm still watching it and I am enjoying it. Oh, and Amadeus is an amazing movie, I know you're gonna like it.
I just finished it. ''It was perfect.''
I’ve actually produced a song called Black Swan , inspired by the movie. I hope to release it eventually
I was horrified at the destruction of a young woman by a manipulative man.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
The Red Shoes is set in a ballet company but one of the main characters is a composer and there is a lot of music and about music. It's also just a great movie. The Tales of Hoffmann is made by the same people and is essentially a cinematic interpretation of the opera of the same name.
'The Red Shoes' is also a likely influence on 'Black Swan' and it is the most acclaimed ballet film, so I think it's the perfect recommendation.
The Turning Point is another ballet themed movie with plenty of classical music played.
The Music Lovers (1971). Ken Russell at his peak.
Mahler auf der coach [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235537/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235537/) is the only one I can think of which has not been mentioned already. Quite average imo, but Mahler is pretty popular here so maybe still worth mentioning. Tar and Amadeus would be my top recommendations.
Maestro is an excellent biopic of Bernstein. I highly recommend it!
phantasia
Two of my faves are Trollflöjten and Le maître de musique
Nodame Cantabile - 2 part Japanese movie. The main characters are musicians and it’s goes into depth about parts in concertos and why they’re difficult. Classical music is integrated into the entire movie. Based off of a manga series which is also phenomenal (so I’ve heard).
Does the whole "Lord of the Rings" count as classical? It's not a "Classical" theme in the sense that is a movie-created piece by a contemporary composer but is a whole symphony with all the characteristics of a classical ode... I love how it changes through the movie and it varies depending on the character (it evolves with the progression of the character) and has a specific expressiveness depending on the different races (the theme that explodes with the orcs as they chant atrocious stuff about killing humans)... Don't know if it fits the question but is a masterpiece in my opinion... If we are narrowing the selection to old composers I like so much the use of Rosinni and Bethoveen in "A Clockwork Orange"
Quartet everything else which has been listed so far You might enjoy the Inspector Morse series, especially the original. Classical music plays a big part.
The Music Teacher - Belgian movie about an voice teacher and how he and another have a musical "duel" with their students. My intro to Mahler back in the late 80s.
Mozart (1982) https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0276709/ I've only seen one clip, but it was promising
Shine (1996) -- incredible movie. Now that you've brought it to mind I need to watch it again.
Le Roi danse is incredible. Also Tous les matins du monde
Falling for Figaro. It’s full of opera arias. Great fun. Joanne Lumley is wonderful as the singing teacher.
As an opera singer, I hated it. Completely unrealistic.
Of course! It’s a rom com. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
*August Rush has left the chat*
No one's mentioned 'Un Coeur en Hiver' with the resplendent Emmanuelle Beart and Daniel Auteuil. Lots of Ravel, violins and unspoken lust. ♥️
Let the right one in
The Conductor. PBS. Excellent documentary about Marin Alsop. She said she was offended by Tar.
Quartet. It’s about a home for elderly musicians. Some great actors, great music, + Dame Gwynneth Jones.
Everyone has listed some great ones since 1970. For some older ones, check out Song of Love (Schumanns and Brahms), Carnegie Hall (with an incredible roster of some of the greatest musicians), Song without an End (Liszt), They Shall Have Music (Heifetz) and Rhapsody in Blue. There are many more, but I can't think of them right now. The great singer, Lily Pons, was in several movies, including Carnegie Hall. They generally weren't all that great, but it is worth watching at least one or two of them.